Summary
Brent Brewster, a former Yale luminary whose collegiate zenith was defined by the soaring trajectory of the pole vault, finds himself grounded by the mundane gravity of mercantile ineptitude. Disowned by affluent kin who demand self-sufficiency, Brewster pivots from the ivory tower to the gritty corridors of a private detective bureau. His inaugural crucible manifests in Poughkeepsie, where a series of audacious jewel heists has paralyzed the local gentry. Infiltrating a high-society gala hosted by Craig Lansing, Brewster adopts a veneer of aristocratic leisure to unmask the predatory Captain Drake, a British scoundrel weaving through the upper crust. Amidst this subterfuge, Brewster is blindsided by an intoxicating infatuation with Ann, the sister-in-law of his host. However, Ann’s casual admission that her affections require a forty-thousand-dollar annual stipend momentarily dampens his ardor, reminding him of his precarious fiscal standing. The narrative tightens as Ruth Lansing, seeking solace in Drake’s manipulative flirtations during her husband’s absence, risks total social annihilation. In an act of chivalric self-immolation, Brewster assumes the stigma of Ruth’s indiscretion to preserve her honor for Ann’s sake. The climax erupts in a display of kinetic bravado: utilizing a common clothes pole, Brewster resurrects his dormant athletic prowess to vault through a window, intercepting the fleeing Drake. The resolution is punctuated by a deus ex machina inheritance, bridging the chasm between Brewster’s valor and Ann’s material prerequisites, cementing a union born of both grit and gold.
Synopsis
Brent Brewster, formerly a Yale athlete known for his pole vaulting prowess, is unsuccessful in business. When his wealthy relatives send him out to fend for himself, Brent joins a detective agency. After Craig Lansing, a family friend, hires Brent to investigate the numerous jewel thefts in Poughkeepsie, Brent works undercover at Lansing's house party and recognizes Captain Drake, an English crook. Although Brent temporarily forgets detective work when he meets Ann, the beautiful sister of Lansing's wife Ruth, Ann's remark that $40,000 a year would be enough for her to live on brings Brent back to the job. Meanwhile, Drake is intent on compromising Ruth, who flirts with him while Lansing is away. When Lansing returns unexpectedly, Brent accepts the blame for the flirtation to protect Ruth's honor, because of his love for Ann. After Brent vaults with a clothes pole through a window to prevent Drake's escape, Drake is exposed. Brent then learns that he has inherited a legacy which will enable him to satisfy Ann's monetary needs.
